1996 Buick Riviera problems & reliability
44 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1996 Buick Riviera. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 8 | 18% |
| Power Train | 7 | 16% |
| Seat Belts | 7 | 16% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 7 | 16% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 6 | 14% |
| Electrical System | 5 | 11% |
| Steering | 4 | 9% |
| Visibility | 3 | 7% |
| Air Bags | 2 | 5% |
| Engine | 1 | 2% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 17 reported components →Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“I smelled gas. I opened the hood, removed the engine cover & fuel was spraying from the plastic fuel line, the size of a pinhole. I contacted the dealer to order a new fuel line and was told the fuel line part #25648136 is discontinued, as soon as I find one left somewhere, I will be taking to an independent repair…”
Engine · filed Feb 3, 2015
“Could not get first incident date entered. This is current time started in 2013. Have had repaired 5 times and needs again. When driving on freeway above 60 miles per hour and have to brake heavily it will start to shake and shimmy steering column fixed 2 times this year, as it loosens up and you can move it up to two…”
Service Brakes · filed Sep 2, 2014
“Tl* the contact owns a 1996 buick riviera. The contact stated that after refueling the vehicle, there was a strong gasoline odor. The contact noticed that the fuel tank was fractured from excessive corrosion causing fuel to leak. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 68,000. Updated…”
Fuel System, Gasoline · filed May 29, 2014
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES
Engineering Analysis EA02030 · opened Oct 22, 2002 · closed Mar 9, 2004 · led to recall 04V090000
- REAR SEAT BELT RETRACTOR
Preliminary Evaluation PE99059 · opened Sep 15, 1999 · closed Feb 22, 2000
Technical service bulletins
44 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1996 Buick Riviera. The 10 most recent:
This Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or updating operating software for the Tire Pressure Monitor, Active Fuel Injector tester, multi media tester, PICO Scope, GR8…
PIP4723F · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 14, 2022
This Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or updating operating software for the Tire Pressure Monitor, Active Fuel Injector tester, multi media tester, PICO Scope, GR8…
PIP4723D · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 31, 2020
This informational bulletin provides information for dealers/technicians on Procedures to Unlock Delco Radio with Theftlock.
19NA273 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 2, 2019
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician on how to unlock radios that are Delco TheftLock. Technician will use the radio to get the scrambled code. Technician will need to…
PIC4696E · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 22, 2019
This warranty administration bulletin provides information regarding the field action courtesy transportation policy.
17NA073 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 18, 2019
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician on how to unlock radios that are Delco TheftLock. Technician will use the radio to get the scrambled code. Technician will need to…
PIC4696D · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 5, 2019
This warranty administration bulletin provides information regarding the field action courtesy transportation policy.
17NA073 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 15, 2019
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician on how to unlock radios that are Delco Theft Lock. Technician will use the radio to get the scrambled code. Technician will need to…
PIC4696C · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 31, 2018
This Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or updating operating software for the Tire Pressure Monitor, Active Fuel Injector tester, multi media tester, PICO Scope, GR8…
PIP4723C · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 20, 2017
This warranty administration bulletin provides policy information with the field action courtesy transportation policy.
17-NA-073 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 15, 2017
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 1996 Buick Riviera in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1996 Buick Riviera?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.